Moliere In The Park Will Return To Prospect Park's LeFrak Center With Free Staged Readings Of TARTUFFE
The cast features comedian Kate Rigg in the title role.
Molière in the Park, co-presenting with the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), and in partnership with the Prospect Park Alliance and LeFrak Center at Lakeside, will present free staged readings of two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Wilbur's translation of Molière's TARTUFFE, directed by Molière in the Park's Founding Artistic Director Lucie Tiberghien, May 26 - 30, 2021.
A bible-thumping shark makes a deal with a gullible mark. Mix in money and power, fleshly sins by the hour, and call it Molière in the Park! If ever a play, written back in the day, knew exactly with what we'd be dealing. It's TARTUFFE by Molière, 17th century fare, but the story is truly... revealing.
The cast features comedian Kate Rigg (Slanty Eyed Mama, NBC's "New Amsterdam") as Tartuffe, Tony nominee Andy Grotelueschen (Tootsie on Broadway, Fiasco Theater's Into the Woods) as Orgon, Nicole Ansari (Rock 'n' Roll on Broadway, HBO's "Deadwood"), Lizzy Brooks (Diablo Love at SummerStage, NBC's "Hostages"), Chris Henry Coffey (Bronx Bombers on Broadway, Public Servant on Theatre Row), Jared McNeill (Battlefield at BAM, The Valley of Astonishment at TFANA), Jennifer Mudge (The Plot at Yale Rep, Rocky on Broadway), Marjan Neshat (Selling Kabul at Williamstown Theater, Joan with Colt-Coeur), Postell Pringle (A Free Man of Color on Broadway, Othello: The Remix at Westside Theatre) and Carter Redwood (When January Feels Like Summer at EST, Gertrude Stein Saints at Abrons).
The production team includes Garth Belcon (MIP Co-Founding Executive Producer), Lina Younes (Set Design), Stoli Stolnack (Lighting Design), Brendan Aanes (Sound Design), Dina El-Aziz (Costume Design), Madison Lane (Production Stage Manager), Thyra Hartshorn (Production Manager), Kaliswa Brewster (Community Advocate), Lisa Lewis (Advertising & Marketing) and Nicole Breeden (Marketing Associate).
Join Molière in the Park in person and safely distanced, outside at Prospect Park's LeFrak Center. Enter at 171 East Drive between Ocean Avenue and Lincoln Road. Free performances take place on Wednesday, May 26 at 7pm, Saturday, May 29 at 8pm and Sunday, May 30 at 7pm. Running time is 90 minutes. Masks required; Socially-distanced seating in pods of 1 and 2. Reserve at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tartuffe-a-spring-staging-at-prospect-park-free-performances-registration-154576104289. For more info visit https://www.moliereinthepark.org.
Molière in the Park will host a benefit evening on Thursday, May 27 with a toast at 7pm and an 8pm showtime celebrating the return of live performance in New York City. A donation of $150 supports Molière in the Park's free theater in Prospect Park and the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), both 501(c)(3) not-for-profits, and includes the live performance, a selection of gourmet delectables, fine beverages, cookies by Michel et Augustin, and a FIAF membership for free access to FIAF's virtual events, CinéSalon French film series, and more. Masks required; Socially-distanced seating in pods of 1 and 2.
Molière in the Park is an inclusive and antiracist theater organization. Their mission is to bring high-caliber English language productions of Molière's timely masterpieces, as well as carefully chosen contemporary plays that focus on language and question today's world through the lens of history, to Brooklyn's Prospect Park annually, and the online theatergoing community, free of charge. For info visit https://www.moliereinthepark.org, like MIP on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MoliereInThePark, follow on Twitter at @MoliereBKPark (https://twitter.com/MoliereBKPark) and on Instagram at @moliereinthepark (https://www.instagram.com/moliereinthepark).
A Franco-American Brooklynite, Lucie Tiberghien (Molière in the Park's Founding Artistic Director) was raised in France and Switzerland and moved to New York in 1995. Specializing in the development of new plays, Lucie has directed world premieres at Second Stage, MCC, The Cherry Lane Theater, Hartford Stage, La Jolla Playhouse, Contemporary American Theater Festival, Rattlestick Theater Company, MaYi Theater Company, The Humana Festival, Labyrinth Theater Company, Pan Asian Rep, New York Theater Workshop Next Door, and Arena Stage. She has developed new plays at Playpenn, Sundance, Ojai, The O'Neill, MTC, The Roundabout, Primary Stages, among others. In the fall of 2018 she founded Molière in the Park to act on her desire to democratize access to theater and bring free productions to Brooklyn on a regular basis.
